Flying By To Say High

I often get visits to my blog from countries other than the United Kingdom so in honour of my blog buddies worldwide I wanted to create a card as a bit of a thank you and to say hi to all of you lovely folk.

I am truly grateful for each and every visit, wherever you are from.

It’s weird and humbling to think that people from other countries are reading and enjoying my little slice of the internet.

I only really write this as a bit of a hobby so the fact that you all come along, read, and often comment gives me such a happy feeling as I know that I am in good company.

Anyway, so I said that I wanted to create a card to celebrate this fact and so I did – here it is :)

So I’m thinking that you might want to know how I put this together – well there is some good news – I remembered to take photos this time!!!

Ok, I think that I may have also over compensated as there are quite a few photos, but hopefully they will give you a better insight into the creative process (at least that’s my excuse!)

Anyway, waffle waffle waffle, I’d best get on with it.

To kick this card off I rifled my stamps and found the perfect set that would create this card.

I used a sentiment from a set – sadly I can’t tell you who the manufacturer is as I have ditched the packaging and totally forgotten so if anyone recognizes it, I’d love it if you could let everyone else know in the comments box at the end of this post (pretty please).

I also used the “All Aboard – Map” stamp from docrafts and an aeroplane clear stamp from cArt-us.

First up I stamped out the sentiment.

By the way I used the coffee coloured Archival inkpad to stamp this out.

I then wanted to give it a little shade of colour but didn’t have a mask so made one from a circular die. I actually created several at this point as I was (miraculously) thinking ahead and was also going to shade the map later on.

I did laugh when this came out of the die cutting machine, and even started saying hello to it – strange but true.

Anyway, crazy moment over I did then use the mask to ink over the sentiment.

Right, sentiment sorted, onto the map.

I grabbed an eight inch square white card and drew lines from each corner that intersected in the middle and used these lines as a guide to stamp the map in the centre of the card, like so *wafts hand towards picture*.

and then brought back the crazy mask and used the largest circle to mask off the map.

Using some distress inks (Tim Holtz obviously) and blender brushes from Clarity stamps I gave the edges a haze of blue.

Earlier on I had planned to see this world map through an aperture so I put this to one side and got another eight inch square card and again drew lines from the corners across the card and used this mark to centre the circular cog from the Inkadinkado Stamping Gear.

I then laid down the die that was going to be cutting the aperture and used this to gauge how far away the aeroplane needed to be.

I added some tack n peel to my paddle and then inserted it into the cog and picked up the stamp.

The die was removed next before I started to stamp.

Using the coffee coloured Archival inkpad I then used the shadow stamping technique to do a complete circuit of the cog with the aeroplane stamp. (shadow stamping is as follows – ink the stamp and make an impression, make a second impression in the next notch on the cog BEFORE reinking and doing the same again).

This image of the completed circuit should make it clearer…

I then used my special Movember themed eraser to rub out the pencil lines.

Ok, so I got the eraser a while ago but as I am taking part in Movember I thought that it was worth mentioning; also it’s my favourite eraser!

Now, aeroplanes fly through the clouds and not snowdrifts, which is what this looks like right now, so I created a small mask from three small die cut circles stuck together and began blending off the mask onto the card to give the impression of clouds.

Here is the result of the first circuit.

Then I did a second circuit moving the mask closer to the centre of the card. You can see the mask here (top left of the image).

And finally added a few more on the outer area just to fill it out.

I then trimmed the edges down a little so that I would be able to mat and layer it onto another eight inch square card.

Now, up to this point I had been planning ahead but I suddenly decided that because the aeroplane was a vintage bi-plane that I wanted this to have a very heavy sepia feel so I urgently reached for a whole bunch of browny coloured distress inks, the blending brushes and my blending mat and got to work.

Some people might say that I over did it, but I really liked the finished result.

Design panic over and it was time to move on.

Using the circular Spellbinders dies I cut the aperture in the centre of the aeroplane design.

And then mounted it onto several layers of coordinating cardstock, also cutting smaller apertures in each subsequent layer.

I then set about raiding drawers and fiddling with ribbons and embellishments; draping them over the card to try and figure out how I was going to finish this card off.

If this were a movie, this bit would have been a montage!

Instead, quite a while later, I alighted on an idea to just create a simple strip with cardstock and then add a chocolate box type of bow (from the same cardstock) and putting the sentiment in the middle of it.

Pure and simple, so I went ahead.

(Oh, by the way, I had also layered the aeroplane design onto the map that I had stamped earlier).

Although I used double sided tape I was concerned that it wouldn’t hold so I also used a staple in the middle of it …

… that should hold the little monkey down.

Finally the sentiment topper went on but at this point I didn’t think that it was “finished”.

I didn’t want to use gems or glitter as it had quite an antiqued feel and I thought that this wouldn’t have worked so I had another poke through me stash and found some Dark Bronze and Black Pearl Cosmic Shimmer pearlescent PVA glue, tried it out on a bit of scrap and thought that it looked a bit like the rivets on the aeroplane image – so used those to finish the design off.

et voila!!!

So, there you have it.

To be honest I wish I was flying out to each of the countries that visit my blog and doing a crafty road trip but sadly this won’t be happening anytime soon – I can but dream.

Well, that’s it for this one.

Thanks again from reading and I would love you all, no matter where you are, to leave a comment below to say hi to other countries and tell me/them which country you are from.

Any questions or comments can also go down there in the comments section as ever.

UK visitor from not so sunny Northamptonshire. It’s a gorgeous creation and thank you for sharing the step by step. You have some steps and skills that are new to me that I think I will give a try soon. Love that card and love the stamping, hope we get to see more of you and your gorgeous creations on C&C x

Each time I visit I think oh wow this has to be my favourite ever and then you go and blow your last card out of the water. Now and probably until you post another card this has to be your best yet. I so love it and am very jealous of your talent.
Big hugs from Heywood Lancashire UK,
H xx

John a perfect walk through through your demo, really like this card, we live in Spain at the moment,but are coming home tomorrow for a few weeks, and get a bit more stash at the same time. Thanks John.

Love all your work, I am from the UK but live in South Africa now, though all my family are still there. Love to see what you get up to and always a treat to read your posts. We don’t have the Inky dinky stamps here as yet but do get a lot of other stuff that I see you wonderful creative people use on C & C ( able to catch you on my pc) Would like to say a huge thanks for the wonderful tip on using shaving brushes for adding colour and went out the next day a bought a whole load of them….. and some very odd looks from the teller at the till.

Thanks again John for the lovely work you show us and keep inspire to do more.

Hi John. I love your work, but this is my absolute favourite so far. I am in the UK, but in a couple of weeks time I hope to be viewing your blog from Cuba, internet permitting, does this count? Have you any plans to be demoing on C & C in the next few weeks? SueL

What a fantastic card & one I’m definitely going to make, although I’m going to have to buy the inkadinkado stamping gear, oh dear, what a shame (lol) 😉
I’ve only just joined your blog & I’m so glad I have, I love your work & being stuck in bed at the mo in constant pain, you’ve really made me giggle, so thank you for that :)
Now I need to go, so I can shout my hubby to bring my purse up so I can go shopping.
I can’t wait for your next one xxxx

Not surprised you have so many blogging friends all around the world John – your work is inspirational! I really look forward to getting your posts – I’m here in the UK and we’re proud you’re ‘one of us’ and getting such acclaim! I love this card – it’s so hard to find a card to send to a man and this fits the bill so well (although it’s so nice I wouldn’t mind someone sending it to me either). Hope you never stop blogging! :) x PS. Have fun with the Movember campaign.

John, you are a true crafter. I always admire your work and agree with the comments made by others, it’s not just your blog but also your presenting and demonstrating on C & C is clear, concise, no waffling but done in such a great manner as well. Love the shows you are on and keep the creativity going. This humble comment is coming from East Lothian in Scotland where today the sky is bright blue, hardly a cloud around me but it is cold. Nevertheless a fab day for a walk in the surrounding countryside. Enjoy rest of your day.

Hi John,
You are a Top Man! Your style is much admired by me, not only here on your blog, but also when you demonstrate on C&C. Classic, Clean lines, total accuracy, and balance on every single project.
Your rivets on this high-flying international card take me back to 1981; I was due to be picked up from Southampton Airport by a small 12 seater plane to fly to Bradford/Leeds Airport to choose a new computer for the Co. I worked for at that time.
Five more accountants had been picked up in Bournemouth prior, and were already in no fit state to greet my fresh approach – it was blowing a hooly of some force. But my
ex-RAF Husband had told me to fix my eyes on one particular rivet on the wing – once on board. That proved the best advice I could have had, and the return flight was uneventful for all passengers.
BTW, I am Danish but have lived here since 1956, so you can count me among your cosmopolitan admirers.
My Very Best Regards, Lis Kervill
Lis Kervill

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